Why do I need a drill press?

I also own a number of drill presses, 5 in all, and all are bench top models. I don't have a lot of room in the machine shop, so I have a smaller 10 inch Delta DP there. It only has a 2.5 inch depth for the quill, but I still find it handy to have around. Most of the time I have it set up for a counter sink. I really like having a drill press available.

Paul
 
I still have my 1963 Craftsman drill press. It is so much faster to use than setting up my mill for drilling.Mine has the original hi-lo speed attachment I bought this from new. My first machine purchase.

When using the power downfeed in a BP,the max drill size is 3/8". By hand,you can drill much larger holes with a BP.
 
I have two, a 40’s era Delta 17”, and a 50’s DP220 with the foot feed. I can't imagine NOT having them. Much faster then setting up the mill.
 
I believe that having a drill press is a justifiable luxury. Many times milling jobs take a few days to a few weeks and to avoid having to ruin the set+up just to drill a hole, the drill press is used. I personally have 2 drill presses. The first is a bench model for smaller, finer drilling operations when I don't need a lot of grunt.

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When I need to do some heavy duty drilling and need a lot of space, I use the Arboga. The reason why the Arboga is not my go-to drill is because my little Ixion is so quiet and smooth that I get a better feel for what is happening. The downside is that it's speed range is on the high side so The Arboga compliments it quite nicely.

Paul.

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I have both a mill and a drill press. (Actually two drill presses but one pretty much lives with a countersink in it full time).

I use the precision measurement/positioning capability of the mill to spot pilot holes with a center drill, then do the actual drilling on the drill press. This uses just one tool holder on the mill and maintains the Z-Axis calibration. (Tool holder / collet combination on my Hurco with Kwik-Switch tool holders is about $100 a pop.)

It's faster / easier to switch drill bits and adjust the table height on the drill press when doing different size through-holes.

If I'm doing blind holes then I do them entirely on the mill - better / more accurate depth and feed speed control.

I had a drill press before I got the mill so it became a habit. Also, for holes in sheet goods (especially holes >1/2" diameter) that don't have to be 'dead nuts' accurate I whomp them out on the ironworker after spotting the locations with the mill.

Stu
 
Best reason to have a drill press is Murphy and his pecky law, IMHO.
You can bet your bippy that one day you'll need to do some drilling at the same time you have a project set up, clamped down, and started on your mill.
So ask yourself, "Would I rather spend a couple hundred on a cheap drill press or go through a project set-up again that may induce errevokable errors ?"
 
I have a mill and drill press and used to use the mill for milling and the drill press for drilling, but more and more I'm not using the drill press (Harbor Freight) as I'm finding that the mill has a lot more torque for drilling and the vise with X/Y axis makes holding stuff and moving it around much better (granted, you can get that setup with a Drill press but I don't have that). I can see the utility of a big floor model DP since my mill only has so much Z movement, but if I have a long object, I usually can fit it to the lathe
 
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My opinion: every shop should have a drill press. Get as good as funds allow. I started out with a Clausing 15 inch variable speed. Upgraded to a geared head Solberga when a deal came along. It will put inch holes in plate steel without difficulty. So buy what you can and upgrade when possible just like all of our tool/tooling.
Just as others have said the drill press is fast and easy to put a quick hole in something or for deburring/countersinking. I still drill occasionally on the Bridgeport. Usually when I have a part indicated in and set up and don't want to take it out to drill a hole or two before returning it to the mill.
Got to agree about getting a GOOD drill press vise. Started out with a old US made Craftsman that is adjustable for angle. Not enough mass or rigidity. Got a 6 inch Heinrich and it is akin to what a Kurt AngleLock is to a mill.
 
One thing I haven't seen anyone mention, is that a drill presses has a much larger spindle to table distance. A BP size machine maxes out at 18". My 17" floor model jet DP goes up to 29-1/8" , and its over 36" if I swing the table out of the way and set the work on the base. All that extra capacity lets you do stuff like Keith Fenner is doing at the beginning of this video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UObRO4eQJZo

if you are using a BP style machine you have to start doing stuff like clamping to the table edge, and then rotating the turret & extending the ram.

Another thing to consider is what you are drilling. I do a lot of woodworking, and I don't want sawdust anywhere close to oiled machine ways.

The other main benefit of a drill press, is that the bearings are cheap, and easy to replace, so if you abuse them it's not as big of a worry.
 
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Bamban said:
A friend who is a machinist insisted that I buy a floor standing model drill press for my garage shop. I have a Bridgeport, what is the compelling reason why I need to buy a drill press?

Thank you.
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You do not need a drill press .I have a mill and two drill presses.The older Craftsmen has the threaded rod fine adjustment which I like. Also has a lever for the quill lock.This machine is probably at least 75 years old and has almost no runout.
Cast iron,3/4 hp but no rack for table height adjustment.I unlock the table yoke and lift or push the table for height adjustment. Probably weighs 125 lbs or so,a lot for a bench top machine.
The other DP is a Delta ,I got it brand new ,still in the box for $100.00 This machine went for $350.00 at the time.Hardware store near me went out of business and liquadated all their stock,including a few machine tools.
The quill lock and the height adjustment are a PITA.You can lock the quill with the dial for height .No way can you accurately hold the quill at an exact height,or even move it a small amount.For wood working it is okay. The table height adjusts with the crank and rack.Speeds are easy enough to change,jack shaft puts tension on the belts.The older Craftsmen is time consuming to change speeds.The motor slides on two solid round bars. Two set screws have to loosen,move the motor to get slack in the belt.Then pull the motor forward and retighten the screws.Not difficult but takes several minutes .
In your case I would not bother with a DP unless you actually hd a pressing need for a separate machine.

mike
 
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